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EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE HINDU DELHI TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2019 OPED 11 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Periyar, the hero of Vaikom A decision without forethought On his death anniversary, remembering a leader who gave new life to a sagging movement The government’s decision to implement the CAA has thrown the Northeast into turmoil and shaken investor confidence personality who came to Vaikom met with Periyar. This included Swami such a decision would affect the economic Shraddhananda of the Arya Samaj. development of the Northeast. Rajaji met Periyar in prison before Second, in case Japan has a rethink on proceeding to Vaikom. Gandhi too these development projects , will it do so consulted him during his visit. Peri­ keeping in mind only the Northeast or the Pazha. Athiyaman yar had received Gandhi at Erode rest of India too? JICA is involved in various (March 8, 1925) on his way to Vaikom, Jaiveer Shergill big­ticket infrastructure projects in Hima­ joining him later at Varkala on March chal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, To people in Kerala, Vaikom is asso­ 12. The police superintendent re­ etc. Third, the volatility of the Northeast can ciated with the name of the great Ma­ cords that Periyar was present in the Every cause has an effect and that is why ev­ possibly be a setback to the collaborative ef­ layalam writer, Muhammad Basheer. small closed door meeting of Gandhi ery government decision must be preceded forts between India and Japan in providing The historically minded would asso­ with Sree Narayana Guru. Periyar re­ by careful thought about its potential reper­ an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initia­ ciate it with an important satyagraha called on many occasions that Gand­ cussions. The Citizenship Amendment Act tive. Fourth, besides being a development during the freedom struggle. In Ta­ hi had consulted him before his all­ (CAA) of 2019 has had huge consequences on partner, Japan is also a member of the Quad, mil Nadu, it conjures up the bearded important meeting with Maharani both the domestic and foreign policy front. which came into existence to counter Chi­ figure of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy Regent. It should be added that his In India, widespread protests that began in nese economic prowess and unlock India’s (September 17, 1879­December 24, “Periyar was in the forefront of every aspect of the Vaikom struggle.” A view of wife Nagammal and his sister S.R. the Northeast are now raging across the potential in the Indo­Pacific. Last and most 1973). Vaikom is a metaphor for so­ the Vaikom MahadevaTemple. * VIPIN CHANDRAN Kannammal were with him for much country. On the international front, soon af­ importantly, when Kashmir is already vola­ cial justice — when scores of satya­ of the agitation, apart from offering ter the protests broke out, two Bangladesh tile, can India afford to open another frontier grahis from the Tamil country joined To mobilise support, he visited villag­ Erode much to the chagrin of the dis­ satyagraha themselves. ministers cancelled their visit to India, the Ja­ of vulnerability in the Northeast? hands with their brethren in a heroic es in and around Vaikom and deli­ trict magistrate who chided the pol­ When, following an agreement panese Prime Minister postponed his visit to Clearly, the government did not take va­ struggle. vered public speeches in several ice superintendent for this. As Peri­ between Gandhi and the police, the the country and the annual India­Japan sum­ rious stakeholders into confidence while tak­ Vaikom was then in the princely towns. His campaign tour stretched yar showed no sign of slackening, he prohibition order against Periyar mit was cancelled. From the perspective of ing this decision. The proof of messy diplo­ state of Travancore. The four streets to Thiruvananthapuram and even was arrested 27 days later, on July 18. which had been in place for over a India’s ambitious development plans and matic pudding is in the eating as the UN has surrounding the temple of the pre­ further to Nagercoil. This time he was sentenced to four year was withdrawn, Gandhi wrote strategic diplomacy, the question that arises described the CAA as “fundamentally dis­ siding deity, Lord Mahadeva, were When the Kerala leaders asked for months of rigorous imprisonment in Young India (April 23, 1925): “The is whether the Central government factored criminatory”. The U.S., the U.K., Canada and out of bounds for Ezhavas and other Gandhi’s permission to make the sa­ and lodged in Thiruvananthapuram reader will be glad to learn that the in the ramifications of the CAA on India’s Act others have issued travel advisories to those castes counted as ritually lower. In tyagraha an all­India affair, Gandhi central jail. While fellow satyagrahis Travancore Government have... East Policy and its potential side effects on visiting the Northeast. Why did the govern­ 1924, a satyagraha was launched refused saying that volunteers from were treated as political prisoners, withdrawn the prohibition order the country’s relationship with foreign stake­ ment not utilise diplomatic channels to put against this injustice by T.K. Madha­ Tamil Nadu would keep it alive. The Periyar was denied this status. Rajaji against Sjt. Ramaswamy Naicker...” holders heavily invested in the Northeast. forth its views before the stakeholders in the van. It lasted for 18 months. In the in­ Mahatma was not wrong. As the Brit­ wrote in a letter to The Hindu that The satyagraha ended in partial international community? Had it done this, it itial stages, K.P. Kesava Menon and ish Resident said in his report to the Periyar was condemned to “rigorous victory in November 1925: three out Repercussions on various fronts could have avoided the embarrassment it is George Joseph led the struggle. Oth­ government of Madras: “In fact, the imprisonment and irons and jail of four streets were thrown open. Ne­ Apart from being the unique region that facing today. It is high time that decision­ er prominent figures included Kurur movement would have collapsed clothing and to deprive him of all so­ vertheless, it was an important step. links India with ASEAN nations, the North­ makers of the BJP learnt the basic difference Neelakanthan Namboodiri and Man­ long ago but for the support it has re­ ciety to which other satyagraha pri­ Final victory came 11 years later with east is also the springboard for India’s en­ between raw muscularity and successful di­ nathu Padmanabhan. Towards the ceived from outside Travancore...” soners were rightly deemed entitled the Travancore Temple Entry Procla­ gagement with Southeast Asia. This is pre­ plomacy before taking such measures. end, M.K. Gandhi reached Vaikom Historian T.K. Ravindran observes is totally unjustifiable”. Infuriated by mation of 1936. By that time not only cisely why New Delhi roped in Tokyo to fulfill and gave it the finishing flourish. that Periyar’s arrival gave “a new life this discriminatory treatment, fellow had Periyar become a bitter critic of its ambitious plan of expanding its global Viewed with suspicion to the movement”. prisoner Kesava Menon wrote to the Gandhi, but even his views on satya­ footprints via development in the Northeast. The blunders of the BJP government are Leadership at a critical juncture What was Periyar’s role in the sa­ government expressing objection graha changed. As part of its Free and Open Indo­Pacific stra­ straining and staining India’s foreign policy. The satyagraha began on March 30 tyagraha? He made a cogent and but to no avail. The indignities conti­ Periyar had arrived at Vaikom, on tegy, Japan has been investing in the North­ India has been described as the “Internet with the active support of the Kerala compelling case for it. He used his nued until all the satyagrahis were invitation, and had given a new life to east in a big way. Recently Tokyo decided to shutdown capital of the world”. Senior polit­ Pradesh Congress Committee. But wit and folk logic to punch holes in released when the minor king Chithi­ a sagging movement. He was jailed invest ₹13,000 crore in different projects in ical leaders are under detention, Parliament within a week all its leaders were be­ the argument of the orthodox . The ra Tirunal ascended the throne. twice, and was the only person to be the Northeast . The Japan International is passing laws to grant religion­based citi­ hind bars. While George Joseph speeches reported by the secret pol­ Periyar continued his campaign in sentenced to rigorous imprison­ Cooperation Agency ( JICA) is actively en­ zenship to migrants of selected countries, sought directions from Gandhi and ice and the press make for interest­ Vaikom apart from Nedunganda and ment. From available evidence we gaged in building Northeast road network and the youth of the country is out on the C. Rajagopalachari, he wrote to Peri­ ing reading nearly a century later.

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